Grouping Objects

Use

By default the Explosion list is a list of all the geometry nodes selected in the scene. Only nodes added from a scene tree folder selection are automatically grouped together.

You can automatically group objects together prior to explosion using the following options in the Tool Assistant:

Option

Functional Description

Group by Name

Groups any objects that have the exact same name into expandable groups, and names this group the same as the objects. Applying this option ungroups existing groups and create new groups.

Group by Instance

Groups any objects that are geometry instances into expandable groups, and names this group according to the name of the first node in the list with the Group: prefix. Applying this option ungroups existing groups and create new groups.

Group by Hierarchy Level

Groups each node in the Explosion List:

  • SAP 3D Visual Enterprise Author identifies the parent of the node at the specified level. This may go up many folders to find the parent. This parent is called the hierarchy parent.

  • Nodes that share the same hierarchy parent are grouped together. The group is named by the hierarchy parent node name.

  • If the selected object is at the same level or above the specified level, the part is not grouped. For example, if the object is at level 2 or 3, and the specified level is 3, the object has no hierarchy parent, so therefore is not grouped in the explosion list.

Group by Geometry

Groups the objects that are of identical geometrical size

Activities

Creating a Group Manually

  1. Open a 3D file, select a subassembly in the scene by pressing CTRL, and dragging with the mouse. The selected objects are highlighted in the scene.

  2. From the Tool Assistant, choose Start New Explode Process

  3. Select the objects you want to group, in the Explosion List, and choose Group. A new group object is created containing the selected objects.

Separating a Group

Select the group in the Explosion List, right click and choose Ungroup.

Modifying the Automatic Grouping Settings

Open the Tool Assistant, and make the selections you require in the Automatic Grouping section.